LOCKINGTON — The village of Lockington will hold an emergency meeting on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, at 1 p.m. at Village Hall located at 647 Cross Trail in Lockington to discuss EMS Services.

According to a press release from Lockington Mayor Tracy Johnson, Washington and Loramie Township Trustees and the Village of Lockington Council unanimously approved a three-year contract with Spirit Medical Transport LLC. While in negotiations, Washington and Loramie Township and the village of Lockington learned that Spirit Medical Transport LLC was hoping to contract with Perry-Port Rescue District, and if that contract was not entered into, Spirit Medical Transport, LLC would have to reconsider its contract with Houston Joint Ambulance District. The Houston Joint Ambulance District Board Members signed the contract on Nov. 22, 2022, during the District Meeting.

On Dec. 20,2022, Brian Hathaway, CEO/president of Spirit Medical Transport LLC, provided the Houston Joint Ambulance District members with a new contract. The new contract contained a clause that will allow Spirit to terminate the contract by providing a 60-day notice, if Spirit determined it was not financially able to continue to the three-year contract.

As the townships, village of Lockington and Houston Joint Ambulance District’s legal counsel advised, the Houston Joint Ambulance District responded to the new contract with a clause that also allows the district to terminate the contract with a 60-day notice, as well.

The district’s response to the new contract proposal was provided to Hathaway on Dec. 22, 2022, with no response at the time of the press release.

If the contract is not signed by Spirit Medical Transport LLC, there will not be any official EMS services for the Houston Joint Ambulance District on Jan. 1, 2023. It is believed, said the release, that other local rescue squads would be willing to cover Houston Joint Ambulance District during a period of reorganization.